It would have been 40+ years ago since i had a beer at 5am, well actually still drinking at that time of the day. Staying up to watch the All Blacks playing a Northern Hemisphere team or just partying 
Keep up the good work, somebody’s gotta do it 
Paul
Mac’s Three Wolves IPA. Mac’s was one of the few real ale breweries in New Zealand back in the 80’s when I was younger lad. Back in the day, it was Mac’s Gold - a lager, and Black Mac - a stout. Real Ale/Craft Beers are now a thing here, and this is quite a hoppy Pale Ale, enjoyed at the pool table with a bit of Naim PRAT.
I fined with shift work routine works best for me. I do not let my job dictate my life and the quality of it.
None of this “eat sleep work repeat”
I very much enjoy arriving home after night shift cracking a cold one and spinning some disc’s. Giving that an hour or two to wind down then off to bed. Nobody to bother me as well (
)
I cannot possibly agree that there is any parallel between proper beer, from a pub that knows how to keep it, and cans of the stuff - or bottles for that matter. They are both a pale imitation if the real thing, which regrettably is becoming increasingly hard to find.
Needs must, though, and I was pleasantly surprised by this find yesterday, from a brewery
I’d never heard of before.
100% Gandalf 'tis rite proper job
My current favourite tipple for home drinking is Shotover Brewing Co’s “Scholar”
Its a classic English bitter & very easy - too easy - drinking. At 4.5% it’s between a ‘session’ bitter & falling over juice.
Shotover make 4 beers, Prospect - a session bitter, Scholar - mid-strength complex bitter, Trinity - a pale gold hoppy beer & Oxford Porter - rich dark (black/brown) beer.
Unfortunately for most of you lot its only available from local Oxfordshy’r pubs & the brewery itself.
“Unfortunately for most of you lot its only available from local Oxfordshy’r pubs & the brewery itself.”
Speaking of Oxfordshire I used to go to school near Henley - On - Thames and at that time there was a very nice drop of beer being the bottled Brakspear brewery. I remember the taste was of a nice drop of beer disguising the fact it had a potent level of alcohol (may of been called Brakspear Special). I met my wife over this beer and we both loved it. It was such a shame that Brakspear stopped doing it because it was too expensive growing on the separate field. Now its only draft, its ok but not the same as the bottled version.
Ah Brakspear Special. That’s where we differ, to me Brakspear Special has to be draft.
I wuz brung up in Marlow & learned the art of drinking with Brakspear & the local Wethereds. It was a sad & concerning day when Brakspears closed the old brewery & moved it out to Wynchwood at Whitney, but fears were short lived as the unique Double Dropped fermentation method was retained & the taste of the beer unchanged. Since 2013 they’ve moved most of the brewing back to Henley & all’s well with the world
Still not as nice as it was when it came from the old brewery and I used to like going to that old brewery shop in Marlow. I never forget picking up earthenware bottles of the Millennium. On breweries, I used to love King and Barnes until Badger killed it to buy the pub estate a few years back…how on earth can you drink a pint of Sussex brewed in Dorchester I said at the time. I just hope that Dark Star is still safe after Fullers was swallowed up by a Japanese brewery.
My times with Henley On Thames and Brakspear bottled beer stems from the early 70’s, our favourite haunt (secret trips from school at night) was to the ‘pub in the the hills’ then called ‘The Walnut Tree’. The trip was more interesting after pub back to school (country lanes in the Chiltern Hills in the cover of darkness except the light of the moonlight) and to get back to dorms without being detected!
Ahhh!!! I remember that one! Though I thought it only ever was draught.
When I lived in Reading it was my favoute pint - I have a particular fond memory of a small pub a few miles north of Reading we knew as Nobby’s place, I think it was officially called The Crooked Billet, with an open log fire burning 365 days a year. The bar itself was a doorway, leading straight into the cellar where the beer was run straight out of the barrels/kegs. Nice food, too. Many is the time a group of us connected through our workplace would descend there, and it the Brakespear’s Special was heaven - like black gold.
Whenever I’ve been anywhere selling Brakespear I look out for Special, but It is 30 years since I last saw (and drank) it. I must make a detour to see if I can stopill find Nobby’s place some time, but I don’t have any expectation that will be anytime soon.
The Crooked Billet at Stoke Row, one of my regular cosy places to take girls for a quiet night. Then nearby on to the Three Horseshoes at Maidensgrove, the Beehive at Russels Water … those were the days
I love the names of the above pubs, I can see how Tolkein got the ideas for Hobbits who live in the Shires and went to drink in The Prancing Pony in Bree to meet Arogorn.
Aaaah, the Prancing Pony, Now…
“Snecklifter” - a strong Lakeland brew from Jennings (5.1%) - not to be toyed with. I can smell it in the last mile of the walk …
I have found it hard to find bottled beer of character, the aforementioned Purity is a good ’ un but my local brewery is Hook Norton and their Old Hooky stands up well. I love IPAs and the best in bottle I found is Fuller’s Bengal Lancer. Marston’s is also tasty and is at the higher end of the alcahol scale, just as IPA should be.
Ilkley Brewery Pale Ale.
Crisp and dry, with a zesty aroma. Powerfully hopped for a floral finish.
No suprise to be posting this one, since it’s generally agreed that the best beer comes from Yorkshire, tha knows…
Shipyard American IPA.
Have spent a little while in Oregon and extensively trying the craft beers, and there are many. Glad to see this being very popular back home. Not as Uber as some American IPAs which can get up there in abv and bitterness, with this for my taste - especially if super chilled and poured in a Belgian beer style glass is one to nurse.
